1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications and, more particularly, to a system and method of enhancing reliability while providing high speed data communication services to multiple subscribers.
2. Description of Related Art
Communication technology has had steady progress in functionality and speed, especially since the advent of the global Internet. A typical architecture includes a so called central office that transfers data between multiple servers and multiple subscribers. Hardware failure, however, may interrupt service to one or more subscribers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high speed data system and method for enhancing reliability in a communication system.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, there is a method in a system including a first generator that generates a first signal, a second generator that generates a second signal, and a conductor. The method comprises reading a portion of the first signal and processing the first signal in a first circuit; receiving the first signal from the first circuit; mixing the first signal, received in the previous step, with the second signal to send a third signal on the conductor; subsequently, reading a portion of the first signal and processing the first signal in a second circuit; receiving the first signal from the second circuit; and mixing the first signal, received in the previous step, with the second signal to send the third signal on the conductor.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system including a conductor. The processing system comprises a first generator that generates a first signal; a second generator that generates a second signal; a first circuit configured to read a portion of the first signal and process the first signal; a second circuit configured to read a portion of the first signal and process the first signal; a third circuit configured to mix the first signal, from the first circuit, with the second signal to send a third signal on the conductor, or to mix the first signal, from the second circuit, with the second signal to send a third signal on the conductor.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system including a conductor. The processing system comprises a first generator that generates a first signal; a second generator that generates a second signal; means for reading a portion of the first signal and processing the first signal in a first circuit; means for receiving the first signal from the first circuit; means for mixing the first signal, received by the previous means, with the second signal to send a third signal on the conductor; means for subsequently, reading a portion of the first signal and processing the first signal in a second circuit; means for receiving the first signal from the second circuit; and means for mixing the first signal, received in the previous step, with the second signal to send a third signal on the conductor.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a method for a system including a plurality of encoders each for receiving a digital signal to generate a respective encoded signal, a generator for generating a test signal, a plurality of cards each coupled to a respective conductor for sending signals to a respective subscriber. The method comprises the step, performed in each card, of maintaining a first current path between a respective encoder and the respective conductor, to transfer the encoded signal from the encoder to a respective subscriber, and the following subsequent steps, performed in one of the cards, of breaking the first current path; making a second current path between the generator and the respective conductor, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the conductor, and the following step, performed currently with the two previous steps, in remaining ones of the cards, of maintaining the first current path between the respective encoder and the respective conductor, to transfer the respective encoded signal from the encoder to the respective subscriber.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a method for a system including a plurality of encoders for receiving a digital signal to generate a plurality of respective encoded signals, a generator for generating a test signal, a plurality of cards each coupled to a plurality of respective conductor for sending signals to a plurality of respective subscribers. The method comprises the step, performed in each card, of maintaining first current paths between a respective encoder and the respective conductors, to transfer the encoded signals from the encoder to the respective subscribers, and the following subsequent steps, performed in one of the cards, of breaking one of the first current paths; making a second current path between the generator and one of the respective conductors, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the one of the respective conductors, and the following step, performed in remaining ones of the cards currently with the two previous steps, of maintaining the first current paths between the respective encoder and the respective conductors, to transfer the encoded signals from the encoder to the respective subscribers.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system having a plurality of conductors and a plurality of subscribers. The processing system comprises a plurality of encoders each for receiving a digital signal to generate a respective encoded signal; a generator for generating a test signal; a plurality of cards each coupled to a respective conductor for sending signals to a respective subscriber, each card including a current switch for maintaining a first current path between a respective encoder and the respective conductor, to transfer the encoded signal from the encoder to a respective subscriber, and for making a second current path between the generator and the respective conductor, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the conductor.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system having a plurality of conductors and a plurality of subscribers. The processing system comprises a plurality of encoders for receiving a digital signal to generate a plurality of respective encoded signals; a generator for generating a test signal; a plurality of cards each coupled to a plurality of respective conductor for sending signals to a plurality of respective subscribers; means for maintaining first current paths between a respective encoder and the respective conductors, to transfer the encoded signals from the encoder to the respective subscribers; means, activated in one of the cards, for making a second current path between the generator and one of the respective conductors, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the one of the respective conductors; and means, activated in remaining ones of the cards, for maintaining the first current paths between the respective encoder and the respective conductors, to transfer the encoded signals from the encoder to the respective subscribers.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system having a plurality of conductors and a plurality of subscribers. The processing system comprises a plurality of encoders each for receiving a digital signal to generate a respective encoded signal; a generator for generating a test signal; a plurality of cards each coupled to a respective conductor for sending signals to a respective subscriber; means, activatable for each card, for maintaining a first current path between a respective encoder and the respective conductor, to transfer the encoded signal from the encoder to a respective subscriber; means for making, activated in one of the card, a second current path between the generator and the respective conductor, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the conductor; means for maintaining, activated in remaining ones of the cards, the first current path between the respective encoder and the respective conductor, to transfer the respective encoded signal from the encoder to the respective subscriber.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is a processing system for a first system having a plurality of conductors and a plurality of subscribers. The processing system comprises a plurality of encoders for receiving a digital signal to generate a plurality of respective encoded signals; a generator for generating a test signal; a plurality of cards each coupled to a plurality of respective conductor for sending signals to a plurality of respective subscribers, each card associated with a current switch for maintaining first current paths between a respective encoder and the respective conductors, to transfer the encoded signals from the encoder to the respective subscribers, and for making a second current path between the generator and one of the respective conductors, to transfer the test signal from the generator to the one of the respective conductors.